Waste of time? One Inland teen will make $83,000 this year :o

This is a high payed gamer's story:

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It's another day at the office for Ben Jackson.

The 18-year-old rolls out of bed in his Murrieta apartment around noon, hits the gym then heads home for a shower and lunch.

For the next three hours, he settles in front of the television, black Xbox controller in hand, to practice the skills that will earn him about $83,000 this year.

"That was beautiful," Jackson calls into a white headset tucked behind his ear as a ball of fire erupts from a teammate's machine gun, killing an armored enemy soldier.

Jackson is a professional video gamer, one of a small but growing number of young Americans who make as much money battling virtual bad guys as some university professors earn. He is a cyber-world celebrity, competing several times a year in large-scale tournaments aired live on the USA Network.

It's an alluring enterprise. Video gamers, once stereotyped as basement-dwelling introverts, are now inking million-dollar contracts, sponsorship deals and television appearances. They are flown all over the world for public events and besieged by fans at tournaments.

"The whole community, the competition -- it makes you want to come back," said Brandon Dey, a 16-year-old Riverside student and up-and-comer on the gaming circuit. "I seriously tried to quit once and I couldn't."

Sales of video and computer games topped $7.4 billion last year, nearly twice the revenue of Major League Baseball. Gaming businesses such as the Major League Gaming and Cyberathlete Professional League make money through sponsorships from companies such as Pizza Hut and Red Bull, whose target markets include video gamers.

Sponsorship money helps pay for tournaments at convention centers that attract thousands of players and spectators. They crowd around rows of computers lined up like supermarket aisles, cheering as if watching the Super Bowl. Electronic scoreboards, massive screens that project game play and vendor booths with spokesmodels surround them.

Sponsorships allow the leagues to award more money and to sign more contracts, which attracts more players. National Major League Gaming events draw on average 2,400 competitors. The international Cyberathlete Professional League, founded a decade ago, awarded $250,000 in prize money last year. It boasts 500,000 registered members on its Web site.

"I remember listening to all those mothers say, 'Put those video games away. You're not going to make any money doing that,' " said Chris Moncivalles, commissioner for the Cyberathlete Professional League. "We're trying to put that to rest."

Good Karma

A few years ago, Jackson -- whose gamer tag "Karma" has morphed into a real-life nickname -- was a Murrieta Valley High School student whose family thought he was spending too much time playing video games.

At 300 pounds, he was not athletic and had few friends. Jackson spent his lunch hour playing Yu-Gi-Oh!, a popular Japanese anime card game.

But he enjoyed "Halo," a science-fiction game in which players, either individually or in four-person teams, navigate fantasy worlds to blast away enemies before they kill first.

The game is linked through the Internet so players can battle gamers from across the world in real time. Using headsets, team members talk and strategize as they play.

In 2004, Jackson heard about a "Halo" tournament in Los Angeles. He decided to test his skills. They crushed him -- so badly that Jackson still won't reveal his ranking that day.

"Halo 2" hit the market a few months later, and for some reason, Jackson excelled. He found teammates and began finishing in the top 10 at tournaments in team and individual competitions.

The wins gave Jackson confidence, and he emerged from his shell to become one of the most popular players.

In 2005, Carbon, one of the best teams on the gaming circuit, asked Jackson to join. The team took home the Major League Gaming championship that year, and Jackson finished second in individual play.

Jackson was unstoppable in 2006, winning seven individual tournaments in a row, including the title. Carbon took the team playoff and championship titles.

The attention made Jackson self-conscious about his appearance. He began to work out and eat better. He lost 90 pounds.

In December, Major League Gaming awarded Jackson and his three East Coast teammates a three-year contract valued at $1 million. Carbon is one of 12 four-person teams in the nation that have exclusive deals with the company.

Jackson gets $250,000, which he is using to pay bills and help his family.

"Karma is somebody who has turned himself into one of the most respected players in the league," said Sundance DiGiovanni, Major League Gaming chief brand officer. He co-founded the company five years ago.

Video games are now Jackson's career, although he plans to attend college someday to study game design.

As a contracted player, he must compete in seven Major League Gaming competitions a year and can win prize money if he does well. Jackson also carves about 30 minutes from each day to answer fan e-mails and to post on gaming blogs.

At tournaments, he is a celebrity. Companies shower him with free cell phones, sweatshirts and energy drinks in hopes that other players will see him with their brands. Jackson signs autographs and poses for pictures, sometimes with the parents of other competitors.

"It feels amazing," said Jackson, adding that his family now supports his career. "You never expected to be a celebrity because of a video game. I love it."

It's all part of the league's plan to brand its superstars the way top sports athletes are. Industry officials in the United States hope Jackson and players like him can do for professional gaming what skateboarder Tony Hawk did for the X-Games and driver Jeff Gordon did for NASCAR.

It has worked in South Korea, where top players need bodyguards and date movie stars.

"Without superstars, there is no league," DiGiovanni said. "You need to have a reason for kids to tune in and watch."

Balancing Act

Across the Inland area, gamers are trying to taste Jackson's success. They spend hours each day honing their talents at games such as "Halo 2," "Gears of War" and "Counter-Strike."

They enter amateur competitions at game stores and auto dealerships, hoping to be noticed.

Yucaipa native Derek Smith dreams of making it to the highest tournament tiers. He has had marginal success playing "Halo 2" at local tournaments -- winning a few hundred dollars here and there -- but has yet to crack the Top 8, the group that wins prize money at professional competitions.

A few months ago, Smith, 21, moved in with Jackson after they met at a competition. They share a tiny bedroom so Smith can get pointers by watching Jackson play.

"He has a gift. He was born with it," said Smith, who works in a Temecula clothing store to earn his share of the rent. "I try to make up for that with hard work, practice and commitment."

Dey, the Riverside teenager, said he spends about 20 hours a week practicing "Counter-Strike," a game about counterterrorists. He has competed at tournaments in Chicago, New York and Orlando, Fla. He once placed 17th, high enough to attract attention from Major League Gaming officials, who now recognize him at events.

His mother, while supportive, sets strict rules for her son.

Dey, who skipped a few grades and attends UC Riverside, must maintain at least a 3.5 grade-point average. And his weekday practice time is limited.

"I kind of worry about these young people," Andrea Dey said. "What are they going to do when they have carpal tunnel syndrome? What if they break their arm or become disfigured in some way? I hope they have something else they can support themselves with."

Looking Ahead

Neither Jackson nor gaming officials know how long the success can last.

The industry is new and growing, said Edward Castronova, an Indiana University professor who studies the industry. That means good players will have more competition but also more game choices, he said.

New games target different skills. Someday, they likely will feature artificial intelligence or cameras that read body movements and facial expressions.

In 2006, the average age of a gamer was 33, but that figure rises one year each year as players age, Castronova said.

Jackson wants to ride the success as long as possible. He's confident that his skills and competitive drive will take him far. He's so dedicated that he plans to move to the East Coast to be closer to his teammates.

"As a kid, I wanted to play video games for the rest of my life," Jackson said in his bedroom, where oversized tournament checks for $5,000 and $10,000 hang on the wall. "I'm living a dream."

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ROAD TO THE PROS

Industry experts and gamers offer these tips for becoming a professional player:

Practice, practice, practice: Mom may not like this advice, but players must be good enough to get noticed.

Play different opponents: Go beyond your friends, whose strengths and weaknesses you will quickly learn.

Seek advice: Visit game blogs and Web sites for new opponents and tips from professional gamers.

Watch and learn: You can learn a lot by observing pro gamers.

Try it out: Enter inexpensive competitions at Web sites such as www.caleague.com to gauge your skill level and to improve.

Keep your cool: Trash talking is the norm at competitions. Learn to brush it off and focus on your game.

Get noticed: Big-money contracts usually go to skilled players who are also personable, outgoing and media-friendly.

VIDEO 411

Industry 411 U.S. sales of video and computer games in 2006: $7.4 billion

Average age of video-game players: 33

Percentage of players who are male: 62

Percentage of players who stay active by exercising or playing sports an average of 20 hours per month: 79

Best-selling video game: "Madden NFL 06"

Best-selling computer game: "World of Warcraft"

Sources: Entertainment Software Association; 2006 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data

HOT GAMES

The most popular video games at competitions are:

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'Counter-Strike'

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Console: PC

Summary: Teams of terrorists and counterterrorists battle in a hostage game

Cost: About $20

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'Gears of War'

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Console: Xbox 360

Summary: Soldiers battle human-killing mutants.

Cost: About $50, plus $40 to $50 for annual subscription.

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'Halo 2'

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Console: Xbox, Xbox 360

Summary: Humans wage war against aliens

Cost: $30 to $40, plus $40 to $50 for annual subscription

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'Madden NFL'

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Console: Xbox 360

Summary: NFL-licensed game bearing the name of former coach John Madden

Cost: About $40, plus $40 to $50 for annual subscription

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'Quake III: Arena'

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Console: PC, Playstation2

Summary: Warriors battle in a massive coliseum at the pleasure of blood-loving aliens

Cost: About $30

Article's source:

http://www.pe.com/localnews/murrieta/stories/PE_News_Local_D_videogame19.1c43b59.html